Personalized Gift Card Templates

1. A method of customizing a gift card comprising: storing a plurality of design templates in a computer-readable medium, the templates including a plurality of fields and a layout for the plurality of fields; displaying a set of contract stores and a set of the plurality of design templates to a customer, wherein selection of a contract store also selects a rule set specific to the selected contract store, and wherein at least one template field of at least a portion of the plurality of design templates is modifiable by a customer based on the rule set; receiving a set of inputs from a customer including the contract store selection, a design template selection, and a gift card amount, wherein the gift card amount corresponds to a payment received from the customer by a vendor; printing the gift card based on the selected design template and the contract store selection; and activating the gift card for redemption exclusively at the selected contract store in an amount corresponding to the gift card amount.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fields contains at least one of a text message or a graphic.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an input that includes a modification to the at least one modifiable field and printing the gift card with the received modification.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the modification to the at least one modifiable field comprises inserting into the field at least one of an electronic image selected by the user from an electronic image from aii album account on the Internet, an image inputted by the user via a scanner at a point of service location, or an image retrieved from a computer-readable medium containing at least one image file.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing an agreement between the contract store and the vendor of the gift card, wherein the contract store agrees to honor a purchase at the contract store based on the amount on the gift card if the contract store is designated by the gift card.

6. The method of claim 1 , a herein the set of contract stores includes the vendor of the gift card.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating comprises authorizing the gift card for use at the selected contract store and forwarding payment data pertaining to the activated gift card to a server computer associated with the selected contract store.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one field of the selected template comprises a logo of the selected contract store or a logo of the vendor of the gift card, and wherein at least one field comprises at least one of a policy, a notice, or a contract associated with the contract store or the vendor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rule set comprises rules designating a set of modifiable and non-modifiable field parameters.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a field parameter includes at least one of a position, a shape, a size or a layout of a field.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of fields comprises a company logo and wherein the rule set comprises a rule for a parameter of the logo field.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rule for the parameter of the logo field prevents overlapping a second field over the logo field.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of templates is displayed based on at least one of a customized text message inputted by the user, a browsing pattern of a user for previously displayed templates, an existing history of purchased gift cards, a user identity, or a promotion code.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of templates is indexed based on at least one of an event type, a greeting type, a color scheme, a texture, or a layout.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the event type comprises at least one of a holiday, a personal event, a season, a business, or an advertising.

16. A kiosk for vending customized gift cards comprising: a display unit that is capable of generating video images; a first input device; a processing apparatus operatively coupled to the display unit and the first input device, the processing apparatus comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor; a network interface connected to a network and to the processing apparatus; the processing apparatus being programmed to: display a set of stores under contract with a gift card vendor; display a plurality of design templates, wherein the templates include a plurality of fields and a layout for the plurality of fields, and wherein at least one template field of at least a portion of the plurality of design templates is modifiable based on a vendor specific rule set; receive a set of inputs from a customer including a design template selection, a contract store selection, and a payment value, wherein the payment value is based on a payment received; print the gift card based on the selected design template and the contract store selection; and activate the gift card for redemption exclusively at the selected contract store in an amount corresponding to the gift card amount.

17. The kiosk of claim 16 , further comprising a second input device for inputting an image for insertion into the at least one modifiable template field.

18. The kiosk of claim 16 , wherein the second input device is one of a scanner or an interlace for reading computer-readable medium containing at least one image.

19. The kiosk of claim 16 , wherein the kiosk accesses a photo repository account of the customer to display a set of photos for the customer to choose from and insert into the at least one modifiable held of the selected template.

20. A system for selling customized gift cards comprising: a plurality of retail stores under contract with a gift card vendor, the plurality of retail stores connected by a network computer system; a database for storing a plurality of design templates, the templates including a plurality of fields and a layout for the plurality of fields; a first computer of the network computer system for displaying a listing of the plurality of contract retail stores and a set of the plurality of design templates to a customer, wherein each contract retail store has a rule set associated with it, and wherein at least one design template field of at least a portion of the plurality of design templates is modifiable by a customer based on a rule set; receiving a set of inputs from a customer including a design template selection, a contract store selection, and a purchase amount, wherein the purchase amount is based on a payment received; a printing device for printing the gift card based on the selected design template, the contract store selection, and the purchase amount; and activating the gift card for redemption exclusively at the selected contract store in an amount corresponding to the purchase amount.

21. The system of claim 20 , further comprising a mail facility for mailing the printed gift cards to a customer.